COVE

Display Explanation

The idea with the three pieces of artwork is that in the museum, there are rooms that are in a circle. The plan is that the three artworks are supposed to work together to create a story. A story, you always start with a beginning. So, I feel like a one-way circle would work. When you first walk in, you will start on the right side, and you see the first piece, which is Ulysses and the Sirens. The size of this art piece is 100.6 centimeters, which is about 39.6 inches high, by 202 centimeters, close to 79.5 inches wide. The story starts with being on a wooden ship traveling the ocean. While on the ocean, the sirens, also known as nymphs, appear and cause trouble, trying to lure the men to their deaths. To continue with the story, the next artwork will be the original piece I started with. The Cave of the Storm Nymphs would be placed in the middle of the wall, not the room, because this is where things go wrong. The size of the painting in centimeters is 145.9 cm x 110.4 cm, but in inches, it would be 57.4 inches x 43.5 inches. The shipwrecks and the three “storm nymphs” are kinda surrounded by treasure in the cave. It shows the nymphs were successful in their plan. The last artwork is The Fisherman and the Syren. The size of the painting is 26.1 inches high and 19.2 inches wide. It is the ending of the story where a fisherman could be the last survivor on the ship trying to survive. He gets caught and is lured by the siren. If there were other things added to that room, they would have to be a statue of a siren or the golden string scallop/ seashell lyre instrument that the one nymph on the rock is holding. It is what they use as a melody for when they sing. I just feel like that would be a great thing to display in the middle of the room, maybe surrounded with a few coins or jewelry. By displaying the lyre, people can see what it looked like in person. The statue would also be a great idea to display in the middle, if not the lyre. The statue would represent what the story is about, which is the storm nymphs. 

Installation Note

The common theme of these paintings is the destructive power of beauty. These paintings also have in common that they all were inspired in some way by Odysseus, who in the story had to get past sirens on his journey. The image of a ship on the ocean is called Ulysses and the Sirens, created by John Willam Waterhouse. The background of this story is about Odysseus and his crew on deadly waters, and they are trying to protect themselves from the sirens that are singing. Odysseus wants to listen to them sing, so the crew ties him up so he can listen to the sirens without being lured to his death. The man, Ulysses, is depicted as a struggling man trying to fight his inner self to want to listen to the sirens. Based on his facial expression, he is fully aware of the danger, but he is struggling to resist their song and their beauty. The white clothing he is wearing is supposed to symbolise innocence. The sirens' lure symbolises the dangers of temptation. That is why Ulysses's crew has him tied up as a way to make sure he doesn’t get lured in. The Sirens are depicted as bird-like creatures with human heads. It is supposed to represent the nature of the sirens. 

 Edward John Poynter created  The Cave of the Storm. Poynter made two versions of this painting. The one that is being presented is the second version. In this version, one nymph is holding a golden string scalloped shell lyre while the other two sirens are rejoicing “celebrating” over the ship. The background of this piece is that the three siren-like nymphs are supposed to be called storm nymphs. The nymphs are supposedly singing in the cave to lure sailors in, but the theme that seems to be in this and the other two paintings is the allure of the unknown and also the beauty and its destructive power. While looking at the scene, we get the part where the ship is being wrecked. The nymphs are enjoying their success. The nymphs are depicted as attractive, not only because they are nude but also because of their female figure. The lyre in the painting can be interpreted as seductive. The lyre, along with their voices, are the ones luring and seducing the men. 

Frederick Leighton created the Fisherman and the Syren. The background to this painting is that the nymph was luring a fisherman with her song. Looking at the painting, the fisherman is depicted as vulnerable. His body looks relaxed based on how it is in a slumped position with his arms outstretched. It looks like he is surrendering to the siren. The sexuality in the painting is that the siren is seducing him, and he is submitting to her. Letting her put her arms around his neck, which in a way shows her desire to overpower him and bring him into the water. The way his face is turned indicates that he feels helpless.

MLA

Waterhouse, John William Ulysses and the Sirens. 1891 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulysses_and_the_Sirens_(Waterhouse)#/media/File:WATERHOUSE_-_Ulises_y_las_Sirenas_(National_Gallery_of_Victoria,_Melbourne,_1891._%C3%93leo_sobre_lienzo,_100.6_x_202_cm).jpg Accessed 21 Feb 2025. 

Poynter, Edward. Cave of the Storm Nymphs. 1903. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Edward_Poynter#/media/File:Sir_Edward_John_Poynter_%E2%80%94_Cave_of_the_Storm_Nymphs.jpg Accessed 21 Feb 2025.

Leighton, Frederick. The Fisherman and the Syren. 1856 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ef/Leighton-The_Fisherman_and_the_Syren-c._1856-1858.jpg/694px-Leighton-The_Fisherman_and_the_Syren-c._1856-1858.jpg Accessed 21 Feb 2025.